When I left off yesterday we were strolling down memory lane back to December 16th 2005. I was settling down on the couch to wait out my contractions. Join me now in the wee hours of December 17th, 2005.
My contractions started off at 10 minutes apart and continue in this fashion. Every 10 minutes, I sit up nice and straight on the couch, trying to remember to breathe. When they subside, I relax until the next round comes. I notice that my dog Lexi sits up with me every time I have a contraction. When I relax, she does the same. I go into the bathroom, she follows me. Nausea overcomes me and I keep my face over the toilet, she pushes my head out of the way to see what I’m doing. I am just amazed at how in tune she is to the fact that I’m going through something.
Apparently, they replay Oprah at 4:00 in the morning. I watch as she interviews Reese Witherspoon and Jouquin Phoenix about their new movie “Walk The Line.” I make a mental note that I want to see that when I’m done birthing a child.
Sunlight breaks and I decide to wake up my husband and fill him in on my night. I shower and call the doctor on call to tell him my situation. Unfortunately, my regular doctor is out on a medical leave to have some sort of surgery. The doctor on call says he doesn’t recommend I come in yet because he doesn’t think I’m far enough along. I tell him that I live an hour away and I’m coming in. He tells me that if I get there and I’m not far enough along he is sending me home.
We then call my neighbor and ask her if we can dump Kiki on her because this is it! Once we get Kiki across the street, we are on our way. My sweetheart of a husband turns the seat warmer on for me. Such a nice gesture, although it didn’t really help with the contractions. But at least if AJ was born in the car he would come out head first into a warm seat!
We arrive at the hospital at 11:00am. They take me up to labor and delivery, a nurse gets me in a gown, and straps me up to the monitors. She leaves without so much as asking me any questions. The only thing she tells us is that the doctor isn’t in yet. Once he gets in they will check me out and we will go from there.
Left by ourselves, my contractions keep getting worse. I remember asking my husband which one of us thought that having another kid was a good idea. I have another pretty strong contraction and I swear I feel my pelvis just open up. Another contraction and now there is something coming between my legs. I’m pounding on the nurses button telling my husband to get someone quick! She comes in and I tell her that there is something between my legs. She tells me I probably pooped! But she is kind enough to check anyway! “It’s the head!” she says. “It’s the head!”
She grabs random people out in the hallway. It’s a whirlwind! I’m screaming, people are flying around the room, some doctor is yelling at the nurse asking her why I don’t even have an IV in yet, my poor husband is pushed up against the wall, I’m still screaming, and POOF, AJ is out!
We got to the hospital at 11:00am. AJ is born at 12:07pm. Thank goodness I listened to my instincts and not the doctor who told me to wait it out at home some more. By the way, he came in as AJ was being cleaned up and said, “I guess it’s a good thing you came in.” The nurse felt so bad about pretty much ignoring me that she made arrangements for me to get the room at the end of the hall which was supposedly the biggest. It was pretty big with windows all around.
In the end it all worked out. Today, December 17th 2008 at 12:07 pm AJ will officially be 3! Happy birthday, little man! We love you!
